Please read the following questions carefully and show proof of your answers.

Please follow the

examples that were given in class to help you.

1. If both masses are doubled, what happens to the force?

2 m1 2 m2 m1 m2
F new =G 2
=4 G 2
=4 F old
d d

2. If the masses are not changed, but the distance of separation is reduced to half the original distance,
what happens to the force?

m1 m2 m1 m2 m1 m2
F new =G 2
=G =4 G 2 =4 F old
d 1 2 d
( ) d
2 4

3. If the masses are not changed, but the distance of separation is reduced to one fourth the original
distance, what happens to the force?

m1 m2 m1 m2 m1 m2
F new =G 2
=G =16 G 2 =16 Fold
d 1 2 d
( ) d
4 16

4. If both masses are doubled, and the distance of separation is doubled, show what happens to the
force.

2 m1 2 m2 4 m1 m2
F new =G 2
= G 2 =F old ; There is no change.
(2d ) 4 d

5. If one of the masses is doubled, the other remains unchanged, and the distance of separation is
tripled, show what happens to the force.

2 m1 m22 m1 m2 2
F new =G = G 2 = F old
2
(2 d) 9 d 9

6. Consider a pair of binary stars that pull on each other with a certain force. Would the force be larger
or smaller if the mass of each star were three times as great when their distance apart is three times as
far? Show what the new force will be compared to the first one.
 3 m1 3 m2 9 m1 m2
F new =G 2
= G 2 =F old ; There is no change.
(3 d) 9 d